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Shine by Candy Gourlay
Oct. 15th, 2013 11:34 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
This is not a ghost story. Though there are plenty of ghosts in it.
And it’s not a horror story. Though some people might be horrified.
It’s not a monster story either. Though there is a monster in it and that monster happens to be me.
Monsters are in the eye of the beholder.
Forced to hide herself away from the superstitious community of Mirasol, thirteen-year-old Rosa seeks solace online. There she meets Ansel95, and as their friendship moves from virtual to real, Rosa discovers that she’s not the only one with something to hide …
As Rosa’s social life blossoms, how will she seize the freedom to be who she really is?
From the author of the critically-acclaimed Tall Story, comes a haunting, intense and moving novel which weaves myths and ghosts into a modern setting.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Candy Gourlay’s second novel is a moving middle grade tale that’s part coming of age story, part ghost story and which revolves around a compelling main character. I completely believed in Rosa, her insecurities and her struggle to come to terms with her mother’s death and I loved the relationship between her, her father, her fussy housekeeper Yaya. Rosa’s story is mixed with chapters from her mother’s point of view, which slowly provide background to the secrets being kept from her. I was thoroughly enjoying all of this until a key revelation in the final fifth, which had a melodramatic feel out of kilter with the subtler storytelling in the rest of the book. This is a shame because there are some beautiful moments in the book and Gourlay’s one of the most interesting voices in children’s fiction right now.
And it’s not a horror story. Though some people might be horrified.
It’s not a monster story either. Though there is a monster in it and that monster happens to be me.
Monsters are in the eye of the beholder.
Forced to hide herself away from the superstitious community of Mirasol, thirteen-year-old Rosa seeks solace online. There she meets Ansel95, and as their friendship moves from virtual to real, Rosa discovers that she’s not the only one with something to hide …
As Rosa’s social life blossoms, how will she seize the freedom to be who she really is?
From the author of the critically-acclaimed Tall Story, comes a haunting, intense and moving novel which weaves myths and ghosts into a modern setting.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Candy Gourlay’s second novel is a moving middle grade tale that’s part coming of age story, part ghost story and which revolves around a compelling main character. I completely believed in Rosa, her insecurities and her struggle to come to terms with her mother’s death and I loved the relationship between her, her father, her fussy housekeeper Yaya. Rosa’s story is mixed with chapters from her mother’s point of view, which slowly provide background to the secrets being kept from her. I was thoroughly enjoying all of this until a key revelation in the final fifth, which had a melodramatic feel out of kilter with the subtler storytelling in the rest of the book. This is a shame because there are some beautiful moments in the book and Gourlay’s one of the most interesting voices in children’s fiction right now.
